The aim of this multicenter, doubleblind, randomized study was to investigate the renoprotective effect of irbesartan treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria (a precursor of diabetic kidney disease). 590 patients were randomized to a median 24 months of treatment with 300 mg irbesartan once daily, 150 mg irbesartan once daily or placebo. Time to development of overt nephropathy, defined by persistent proteinuria, was the primary outcome measure.